Beautiful Soul
by Lady Fael
Summary: A SongFic told from Tristan’s POV as he thinks about Rory. The song is “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney.


Beautiful Soul

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gilmore Girls or the song "Beautiful Soul". If I did, I would have used the song in the show at some point.

**Summary: **A SongFic told from Tristan's POV as he thinks about Rory. The song is "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney.

**Setting: **Before Tristan goes to Military School, while Rory is dating Dean…just a normal day at Chilton, really, before all the drama starts.

**Note: **This is a partner fic to Lady Ilyre's "Just so You Know" and my other SongFic, "She's No You". If you liked this, you will most definitely enjoy "Just so You Know" and "She's No You".

-&-

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

_I know that you are something special  
To you I'd be always faithful  
I want to be what you always needed  
Then I hope you'll see the heart in me_

I watch from around a corner, concealed, as she reaches into her locker and takes out the textbooks she'll need to complete her homework. Her lustrous, shining brown hair falls from where she's tried to keep it behind her shoulders and conceals her lovely face. I yearn to go over and sweep it away, take a deep, informative look at that face of hers.

I have the fleeting thought that I could watch her forever, but the thought that succeeds it is the honest one: I can't be content just watching her. I want to, have to, yearn to, do something more. I need to…

I watch as she puts the textbook into her back-pack, knowing that she'll get a perfect score on the homework she'll turn in the next day. I smile to myself; that's Rory. And I think I love her.

My musings are interrupted abruptly as a girl with long, fluffy blond hair comes up behind me and runs a finger down my spine. I shiver, but not out of longing; I don't like her touch. Since I saw Rory for the first time, I have never been satisfied by any other girl's touch. I have never been satisfied by any girl's _anything_, even if she's as 'pretty' as Summer Roberts. Because inside of Summer, there is an empty space. Inside of Rory…there's the world. She has a beautiful soul.

Summer's just another one of 'those girls'. She belongs to the cheerleading squad, gets moderate grades at school, has dozens of boyfriends, and is considered pretty. But Rory…She's something special. She's _beautiful. _I just wish that she would accept me, and sometimes I dream that I can be to her what she is to me. I hope that someday she can see past who she thinks is Tristan DuGrey.

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

I shrug away Summer's hand and turn to face her, forcing on a smile and covering up the fact that I have just been watching – spying on, if you will – Rory Gilmore. "Hey, Summer," I greet her in that fake, 'cool' way that I adopt when around other people. I lean against the wall and tilt my head to one side. She sucks it all up as though it's not superficial crap.

Giggling, Summer greets me with a, "Hey, Tris. How're ya?" She leans in towards me, slowly, as though asking for permission, and then, at a pathetic rate, puts her arms around my neck and ever so slowly pushes her face up against mine, getting ready for one of our school-famous 'major-make-outs'.

At the same moment as her lips touch mine, Rory walks past, her backpack on her shoulders, a Thomas Hardy novel in hand. She's heading towards the English classroom- maybe she forgot something there? As she passes us, she spares us a single glance...one of absolute disgust.

I push Summer away before her tongue finds its way into my mouth. She looks surprised, as though I've just dumped her, and her lips stay in the kissing position for a while before, embarrassed, she closes them firmly. Her arms stay around my neck as she puts on a pout.

"What's the matter, Tris? Did I…" Her voice becomes soft now, almost a whisper. "Did I…do anything wrong?" She's afraid. Summer is afraid that I'm displeased with her and will throw her away like all those other girls I've dated in the past. She has a reason to be afraid.

I want to dump her here and now, but instead I stay silent. She looks triumphant and relieved as she proposes, "You wanna make-out, then?" I hesitate, and she seizes that moment to lunge towards me again and press her lips against mine, forcing my mouth open by opening hers.

Rory walks past us again, then, clutching a Webster's Dictionary under her arm. She looks at us as though we've suddenly sprouted three hideous, serpentine heads and hurries past as fast as possible. I wonder if it's possible to groan with frustration while kissing someone.

_Yeah  
_

_You might need time to think it over  
But I'm just fine moving forward  
I'll ease your mind  
If you give me the chance  
I will never make you cry cmon let's try_

I let her finish the kiss. Rory has walked past twice and I lost any chances I may have had, so why bother to push the persistent Summer away now? When she finishes the kiss and drapes herself on me, I feel like there's a huge gap. That kiss was so far from satisfying it's pathetic.

"Summer," I begin, making some elaborate moves to free myself from her grip. "Summer, um…I left my…" I think of the classroom that's farthest away from where we are. "My English book in the Geometry class. Would you get it for me?" I remember to add that dumb seductive tone to my voice as I speak to her, hinting that I'll give her a reward if she does. I wink and feel like a fraud, but this is _Summer_, who's probably been sleeping with all my supposed friends this past week. I don't spare too much guilt on her.

She winks back and makes sure to swing her hips as she walks to the Geometry class, going slowly on purpose to show off her body. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I make sure she's out of sight then dash down the hallway Rory disappeared into.

I stumble to an awkward halt when I see her, back to me, heading for the Main Doors, the exit. I stop myself from running to her, holding her, and walk in a cool and composed manner toward Rory. When I catch up to her, I call out a nervous, "Hey."

She turns around, knowing in advance, by the sound of my voice, who has addressed her and who she has to face. And so, of course, there's a disdainful frown on her face, as though boys like me have no business consulting girls like her. But I know that. I know that Rory Gilmore is worlds above me.

I feel as though I'm ready for a relationship with her, but she's not. I want to take a step towards her, want to ask her out, maybe, though she'd never even give me a chance. But…I need to try. I need to.

I clear my throat and begin awkwardly, which is never a good thing. "Uh, Mar- Rory…" she looks at me while raising an eyebrow, suspicious and impatient. I gulp. What am I supposed to say? I shuffle my feet a little, look at my sneakers, and then look up at her, ready to plunge into this head-first.

"Rory…You might need time to think it over, but…" She looks wary, definitely suspicious. I can almost hear the distant footsteps of Summer approaching with no book in hand, looking confused, and that prompts me to say it. Now.

"You might need time to think it over, but would you at least consider…going out, maybe for coffee, with me?"

_Am I crazy for wanting you?  
Maybe do you think you could want me too?  
I don't wanna waste your time  
Do you see things the way I do?  
I just wanna know that you feel it too  
There is nothing left to hide_

She looks at me skeptically as I stand there, rigid, paling, sure that she'll refuse. But I can't regret asking what I've wanted, needed, to ask since I first saw her. Am I crazy for thinking that she'd even consider it? But maybe…could she want me too? Or am I just a waste of her time?

I feel exposed, as though I've just stripped off my outer layer and am showing her something inside me. Now there's nothing left to hide; I've revealed what I've been trying to suppress since the first day I saw her.

Summer appears at my side at exactly the wrong moment. "Hey, Tristan, I went to the Geometry room but I didn't- hey…why are you talking to Gilmore?" Her normally fine-tuned voice is edged with fear, and I know she suspects the truth. There's only one thing to do if I really want Rory.

"Summer, I broke up with you two weeks ago," I lie, making my voice sound as truthful as possible. "And I told you that when you sneak up on me and start kissing me, I don't enjoy it at all. Go. Now." She gawps at me; this is worse than she could have imagined. And then comes the next stage. Summer turns red and becomes absolutely furious. She yells, rants, and finally stomps away.

I turn to Rory with an honest apologetic look and find her staring at me incredulously. "Rory, I really don't like Summer. And the reason I'm asking you…out…is not because of a dare, or anything along those lines. I really, really do…lo- like you."

Her mouth turns into a frown and then she looks as though she wants to laugh. "Yeah, sure, Tristan. You expect me to believe that? I'm not going to jump at the chance to date you like every other girl who attends Chilton. No. I don't want to have coffee with you. It would be flavorless." And she turns away.

I feel shattered. She didn't believe me. She didn't believe that I don't want every other girl in Chilton, I want _her. _Her and her beautiful soul.

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I won't let another minute go to waste_

_I want you and your soul  
I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
Oooooooh  
Beautiful Soul, yeah  
Ooooooh, yeah  
Your beautiful soul  
Yeah_


End file.
